The latest Iechyd Da beer column by brewer Simon Buckley

The Iechyd Da beer column from the Carmarthen Journal by Simon Buckley, chief executive of the Evan-Evans Brewery in Llandeilo.
Oh boy, it must be autumn . . .
Party conferences, doom and gloom, and commentators telling us that life as we know it is about to change for the worse.
Enough! I for one am not going to be terrorised by hearsay and I believe life is what you make it. You have to think ahead to what we can do to change things and move with the times.
I have predicted that there are going to be major changes in the brewing industry – there are too many brewers and too much tax.
Efficiency is the buzz word for 2013.
We have spent the last year investing to improve output and to create a series of new beers and brands to drive our sales.
We have set our sights on being a major drinks brand owner, operating across several distinct market segments and with our organic and American brands we have one of the best portfolios of beers to offer in the UK market.
So far, it seems to be working and now we are turning our attention to bottling.
Bottled beer used to be gassy, with fizzed-up cask ale brands.
Now we use the wonders of modern science and the ancient art of brewing to create a series of new beers that are softer, crafted beers that will produce a memorable beer for every occasion.
Today, beer needs to be brought to the front of the shelf and made the natural choice for people who want an alternative to the huge array of wines on shop shelves.
With more people spending time entertaining at home (where the new ‘going out’ is staying at home with friends), we need to move to that market and give people a totally new experience.
We will produce a range of beers that will be new and exciting, and where friends will invite you to come and try the latest monthly creation.
The art to crafting the new bottle beer range is to educate beer drinkers to what makes beers taste the way they do, the subtle flavours driven from the malt and hops, and the soft finish to the beer caused by careful carbonation.
Then, there is the crafting of the champagne ales, bottle-conditioned, where fresh yeast is injected into the beer so that the beer can naturally condition.
I am proud to say that we have one of the best brewing teams in Wales, with a young team of dedicated technicians and brewers led by my son James.
To ignore the internet is to become lost in the wilderness and we now intend developing a new brewery shop online which will offer the ‘Amazon’ of Welsh brewing, with a range of constantly changing beers and the opportunity to buy complimentary food from Wales and further afield.
So, dear reader, I am off on hols, chasing the sunshine south, and when I come back I will be getting my tasting team together to sample the Christmas beers for my November article. It is such hard work!